ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska (AFNS) -- Four airmen were killed when a C-17 Globemaster III crashed here July 28. Three were members of the Alaska Air National Guard and the other was an active duty servicemember here.
 
"Our deepest sympathy and sincerest condolences go out to the family and friends of those Airmen killed in this crash. Yesterday, we lost four members of our Arctic Warrior family, and it's a loss felt across our entire joint installation," said Col. John McMullen, the 3rd Wing commander. "Right now, our immediate focus is on providing all possible support to the loved ones of our fallen aviators. We are also engaged in a deliberate investigative process." 

The names of the airmen are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

A board of officers will investigate the accident.

More information will be released as it becomes available.    

The Air Expo 2010 attendance numbers are in, and the results aren't quite as impressive as 2008, but expo officials are pleased nevertheless.

The News Tribune has the story here.

As the U.S. military's mission in Haiti gradually shifts from providing relief aid to supporting the Haitian's efforts to return to managing routine operations in their country, airmen from the 446th Airlift Wing at McChord Field continue to be involved in the process.

Reservists from the wing's aerial port squadron are experiencing this at the ground level.

Read more about it here.

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - What an exciting way for about 250 men and women to start their Air Force career and for Joint Base Lewis-McChord to start Air Expo 2010. 

About 250 new Air Force recruits will be sworn-in at 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning during a record-breaking ceremony at the JBLM Air Expo.

Col. Kevin Kilb, 62nd Airlift Wing commander, will enlist approximately 250 new recruits into the U.S. Air Force Delayed Entry Program.  This enlistment breaks the previous record of 178 DEP recruits swearing-in at the same time.  All of the men and women enlisting have come together through recruiting efforts throughout the Pacific Northwest.

The enlistment will take place on the Air Expo flightline in front of a large military aircraft static display, just before the aerial acts take to the sky at 11 a.m. 

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash.  -- The McChord Honor Guard Team has been named the 2009 Air Mobility Command Honor Guard Team of the Year. 

The Honor Guard Team has conducted 624 total funeral honors, to include final escort of 417 war veterans. In addition, they have performed flag folding at 225 retirement ceremonies and have executed 47 Joint Color Guards and parades.

"An average working week for our team includes 30 funerals and more than six color guard events," said Tech. Sgt. Bonnie Longie, 62d Airlift Wing Honor Guard NCOIC. 

Sergeant Longie has been the McChord Honor Guard NCOIC for two years, and she says she has seen vast improvements in the Honor Guard members.

"This team is very impressive," said Sergeant Longie. "They carry a level of pride unlike anything I've ever seen."

The Honor Guard requires a certain number of Airmen from each squadron to fulfill its quota. At any given time, there are 72 members, broken up into three teams of 24. Those teams rotate throughout the year, switching back and forth from stand-by to active status each month. 

"The volunteer rate has significantly increased," said Sergeant Longie. "Last year, we had a 65% volunteer rate. This year, that number is up to about 95%."

This year's AMC Honor Guard Team has not only completed an outstanding number of ceremonies and events, but they've also created a brand new training program that has been benchmarked AMC wide.

"The training program used to be a month long, but we've actually been able to cut that down to two weeks," said Capt. Tammy Ortung, 62d Airlift Wing Honor Guard Commander.

The revolutionized training program still includes the same vital training for funeral procedures, rifle practice, color guard and discipline. The new program has been recognized and adopted by other AMC Honor Guard teams. 

"We are representing the Air Force," said Captain Ortung. "We need to ensure our team is trained and prepared to show the proper respect and honor to these fallen servicemembers."

The men and women serving in the McChord Honor Guard Team continue their highly dedicated and determined attitude towards giving their fellow servicemembers the proper respect they deserve.

"There is a certain pride and professionalism that comes along with being a part of the Honor Guard," said Sergeant Longie. "These Airmen understand what it means to honor fallen servicemembers."     

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (AFNS) -- Air Mobility Command has the largest fleet of the biggest airframes in the Air Force and they are the Department of Defense's largest aviation fuel customer, consuming 28 percent of DOD's aviation fuel use, but AMC Airmen are leading the charge in making energy a consideration in everything they do. 

During the third annual Air Force Energy Forum in May, Undersecretary of the Air Force Erin Conaton stressed the importance of being efficient while being effective.

"With the need to deliver fuel, supplies and warfighting capabilities to remote, austere and landlocked places like Afghanistan, reducing the amount of energy our force requires becomes even more important," Ms. Conaton said. 

"By its very nature, the AMC mission requires a lot of fuel," said Maj. Gen. Brooks L. Bash, the AMC director of operations. "This command provides the strategic airlift, aeromedical evacuation and air refueling to support the warfighter, and we do this while also ensuring we're able to provide aid and support for humanitarian operations whenever disaster strikes."

AMC aircraft fly 66 percent of the missions flown in the U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility. Since 9/11, AMC's airlifters have delivered more than 5 million tons of cargo and 14 million passengers; refuelers have offloaded 11 billion pounds of fuel; and aeromedical evacuation experts have conducted more than 151,000 patient movements. 

And they're working around the clock to find ways to become more efficient.

As of June 8, Mobility Air Forces officials have implemented 11 fuel efficiency initiatives with projected yearly fuel consumption reductions of 65.3 million gallons at a cost avoidance of $184.1 million. 

Twelve additional initiatives have been identified, and once implemented, the command will reduce fuel consumption by an additional 51.1 million gallons at a cost avoidance of $144.1 million, for a total yearly reduction of 116.4 million gallons at a cost avoidance of $328.2 million. (Note: The dollar figures are based on the current price of $2.82 per gallon for JP-8 fuel.)

Initiatives already in place include reducing aircraft weight of non-mission essential items and working with foreign countries to fly more fuel efficient routes. 

"(These are all) smart, simple, effective ways to conserve energy," Ms. Conaton said. 

In the last fiscal year, the Air Force spent nearly $8.5 billion on fuel, mostly for aircraft.

"Every dollar we spend on energy is one less dollar that we have to spend on Airmen, their readiness and their weapon systems," Ms. Conaton said. "All of us in government are charged with being good stewards of taxpayer dollars. We need to be able to demonstrate to ourselves, to Congress and to the American people that our energy dollars are being spent in the most effective manner possible."

"AMC will endeavor to reduce our demand for energy by enabling the creativity and good ideas of all Airmen," General Bash said. "We are embracing the Air Force's motto to make energy conservation a consideration in all we do."

"I applaud the AMC Airmen for providing a critical capability to the joint effort while pursuing creative methods to boost fuel efficiency," Ms. Conaton said.    

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - Two high-powered defensive powers, the United States Air Force and the Seattle Seahawks, team up to take to the sky Monday around 12:15 p.m. - sort of. Two defensive specialists for the Seattle Seahawks will fly with the two Air Force C-17 demonstration pilots in the C-17 simulator at McChord Field in preparation for the Joint Base Lewis-McChord Air Expo 2010 July 17-18.

After they are done flying in the full-motion, state-of-the-art simulator, corner back Josh Wilson and safety Jamar Adams will also visit a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft and meet with the airmen responsible for flying and maintaining the Air Force's premier cargo aircraft. Finally, the Seahawk defenders will sign autographs and have their photos taken with the soldiers, airmen and family members of Joint Base Lewis-McChord at the McChord Field Base Exchange.

In the state-of-the-art, motion simulator, the Air Force C-17 demonstration pilots will fly their planned air show profile where they throw the massive cargo plane in tight turns and steep climbs exactly as they plan to fly at the Air Expo just three weeks away. After showing their Seahawks co-pilots how to fly, it will be the Seahawks turn to take the controls. 

Air Force Times posted an interesting story about the debate on whether or not to allow airmen to put more patches on their airman battle uniforms besides just the name and career field badges. While working over at McChord Field I often heard this argument, with most siding with allowing the patches. What does everyone out there think?

Here is the link to the Air Force Times story.

ABC News' Martha Raddatz recently became the first journalist to fly aboard an Air Force F-15 fighter jet on a combat mission over Afghanistan.    

Read the story here.

Airmen from the 8th Airlift Squadron, which left for a 120-day deployment April 22, are getting settled into their mission. Here is a report on their progress, written by a public affairs airman deployed from JBLM.